In answer, Helix closed the distance between them, hoping she would offer comfort in the Tiralan way. She touched his chest and tapped softly in cadence with his heart, soothing his nerves so profoundly that he realized his whole body was rigid, ready to fight at the prospect of losing her. If she went back to Tiralan, so would he, and damn the danger. For long moments, he simply breathed, taking pleasure in her touch. While Qalu might not realize how precious she was to him, he could not fathom welcoming such contact from anyone else. Time might change that preference, but for now, he craved only her, and that was why he minded so little her concern that she might not be able to form a proper love group.

Though Helix looked Tiralan, he was assimilating from a different perspective. He might not be able to bond with anyone else either, but he didn’t carry the same cultural sense of inferiority. As he had limitless data related to the way sentient beings bonded, to his mind, there did not seem to be a correct way; the main requirement seemed to be that the arrangement satisfied all parties, regardless of how others viewed the relationship.

Still, it felt like progress that Qalu was willing to stop running and to keep him company like before. He touched her chest, returning the warmth he felt when she consoled him. She leaned into his forelimb, and his head tendrils quivered in anticipation of more pleasure like they’d shared at the museum.

“Shall we see if we can help with the fuel cell analysis?”

Helix had no desire to perform manual labor after their long trek, but Qalu seemed to think they should offer. With some regret, he broke contact and followed her to the engineering section, where Aevi was assisting Bojak. Or at the least, not actively hindering the human. Quickly he scanned the environment and received instant data flow that overlaid his visual input, identifying the various components. With a thought, he requested more information on fuel efficiency and analyzed a score of records.

“Have you adjusted the shields? We could lower them by a decimal when we’re not in combat or actively avoiding asteroids or debris. That increase in efficiency could be redirected to sustain the fuel cells. If you recalibrate, we’ll definitely be able to reach Altarion.” Helix took the pad from Bojak, who stared at him with large eyes, and swiftly wrote all the numbers scrolling in his head, working out the equations to the tenth decimal point. “See, the math proves it’s—”

“I wasn’t doubting you, not at all. I’ll make the corrections,” Bojak cut in.

Aevi leapt from the human to Helix, perching on his shoulder to do the calculations herself. The little Pherzul talked herself through the higher functions, then she said, “Yes, accurate! We’ll also have some leeway in case there’s trouble.”